Device for the fixing of the tool of a platen press against the upper bed



Feb. 2, 1965 J KURY 3,167,992

DEVICE FOR THE FIXIG OF THE TOOL OF A PLATEN PRESS AGAINST THE UPPER BED Filed Jan. I5, 1963 s a FlgA.

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d--a 4-,- E 0 O O D l\ o o o 8x 0 l- United States Patent Office 3,167,992 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3 167,992 DEVltClE FUR THE FIXKNG F THE TOUL 0F A PLATEN PRESS AGANST THE UPPER ERD Josef Knry, Pully, Switzerland, assigner to ll. Bobst and Son SA., Prilly, near Lausanne, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. Na. 249,157 Claims priority, application Switzeriand, dan. 11, 1962, 387/62 4 Claims. (Ci. 83-7tli) This invention relates to improvements in securing working tools to platen presses.

In platen presses which cut or corrugate paper or cardboard, the tool is set .against the upper bed and extends generally over a large surface while having little thickness. The tool is substantially a thin plate which will therefore tend to bend between its fastening points which are along its edges.

This tendency is increased by the fact that such a tool consists normally of a rigid frame inside of which are elements made of sheet-metal and wooden pieces for instance, presenting less continuity and resistance.

ln order to provide better support of such tools, it has already been proposed to provide the upper platen supporting such tools with mechanical means, designed to apply the tool against the said platen at certain predetermined points.

Apart from the fact that this fixing method gives only an imperfect application because it affects merely some points of the tool, it presents the disadvantage of making the setting and releasing of the tool more complicated, thus bringing about a loss of time on each removal or introduction of the tool.

The fixing means according to the present invention consists in arranging, behind the tool, a net of communicating channels and in connecting the latter to a vacuum pump, so as to apply the tool agaist the bed by suction.

The channels in question may be made in the bed itself, but it is also possible to utilize a device comprising a plate with parallel faces, presenting a net of communicating channels, wherefrom proceed holes ending all on the same face, there being provided means to fix the said plate with its non-perforated face under the bed of the upper platen of a press and to connect its net of channels to a vacuum pump.

Such a device according to the invention is free of the drawbacks mentioned with respect to the known mechanism means.

The attached drawing shows an embodiment of the invention given by Way of example.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the platen of a press, including an embodiment according to the invention to which a tool is supported therefrom.

FIG. 2 is a transverse cross-section of the platen.

FIG. 3 is a plan view to a smaller scale, as seen from the platen side with the platen removed.

The longitudinal direction is to be understood as being in the direction of conveying of the processed sheets.

The platen 1 supports the tool (to be more fully described hereinafter) through the rollers 2, which are supported by angle-irons 3 fitted to the platen.

Resting on these rollers 2 are at irons 4 extending transversely along the two opposite cross edges of the tool. These irons are fixed to the frame 5 (or may be integral with the frame), to the inside of which is secured a sheet-iron plate 6 and several wooden pieces 7 surrounding and bearing the knives or steel cutter 8 in the case of a cutting tool. The wooden pieces are generally fixed to the sheet-iron 6 by screws and, behind the sheet 6, a thin protective sheet which does not appear on the drawing will be placed.

The tool is set in place by rolling the tool on the rollers 2, in a transverse direction. For such purpose the tool is provided with handles 9, making it possible to seize, pull, or push it.

To platen 1, which has a smooth undersurface and does not have any channels, there is fixed a plate 10 with parallel faces, filling practically all the space between platen and tool. The fixing of plate 10 can be effected by known fastening means (not represented), as for example screws. The plate 10 is applied very accurately against the platen and is preferably surrounded by an elastic joint 11.

The face of plate 1@ facing the platen is grooved with four parallel grooves 12 extending in a transverse direction. At one of the ends of the grooves 12, they are joined between them by a longitudinal groove 13. The assembly of these grooves forms a net of channels, open in relation to the plate 1t), but in reality shut by the presence of the platen 1.

From these grooves extend holes 14 ending at the face of the plate d of the tool.

In the example represented, there are nine holes distributed along each groove, and a total of thirty six holes distributed on the surface of the plate and the tool.

The groove 13 is in communication with a conduit 15 connecting the net of grooves to a vacuum pump.

It is evident that in creating, by this means, a vacuum in the grooves and holes once the tool is set, the latter will be subject to a suction applying and holding it fast into place against the plate 10 on all points of its surface. The shape of the elastic joints 11 is fiat between the plate 10 and the platen 1 and rounded outside such that a tight application of the tool against the plate is obtained. An additional joint 16 (FIG. 2) has been provided for this effect, since the side of the tool frame opposite the handles 9 should not cap the plate 1t), otherwise the tool could neither be taken out nor inserted. The joint 16 establishes a seal between the plate 10 and the frame 5.

Owing to the generally very large surface occupied by the tools of presses of the type considered (often ranging about one square meter) a small vacuum in the net of channels, that is in the grooves and holes 12 and 14, is suicient to bring about a very firm application of the tool to the plate and thereby to the platen.

To remove or set the tool in place, it will be sufiicient to momentraily release the suction effect, which is allowed by a simple valve, easier to handle and more rapidly operated than the mechanical tightening members known up to now and which cannot ensure the integral and uniform application of the tool against the plate.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for supporting a tool beneath the upper platen of a press which has a smooth fiat undersurface, said apparatus comprising a frame, means secured to said upper platen for supporting said frame therebeneath such that said frame can be slidably introduced and withdrawn from beneath the platen, a tool peripherally supported by said frame and including a sheet contained within the frame defining a space with the undersurface of the platen, a rigid plate in said space detachably supported by said platen, said plate having a surface in contact with said undersurface of the platen, said plate being provided in the aforementioned surface thereof with a plurality of parallel transverse grooves having opposite ends, said plate being further provided in said surface with a longitudinal groove in communication with said transverse grooves at one of the ends thereof, whereby a network of grooves is established in said surface of the plate which is covered by the undersurface of the platen,

3 and conduit means connected to the plate and in communication with the network of grooves for establishing suction therein, said plate being provided with spaced holes regularly arranged along the transverse grooves and opening into said grooves for thereby having suction developed therein, said sheet of the tool having an upper surface proximate the holes in the plate such thatrthe upper surfaceof the sheet is drawn against the plate and is held thereagainst by the said suction.

2. Apparatus for supporting a tool beneath the ,upper platen of a press which has a smooth at undersurface, said apparatus comprising means supporting two sets of rollers from the upper platen of a press in spaced trans- Verse relation on either side of the flat undersurface of said platen, a frame including means rollable on said sets of rollers for inserting and removing the frame from beneath the upper platen, a tool pcripherally supported by said frame and including a sheet contained within the frame defining a space with the undersurface ofthe plav ten, a rigid plate in said space detachably supported by said platen, said plate having a surface in contact with said undersurface of the platen, said plate being provided in the aforementioned surface thereof with a plurality of parallel transverse grooves having opposite ends, said sheet of the tool having an upper surface proximate the '3 holes in the plate such that the upper surface of the sheet is drawn against the plate and is held thereagainst by said suction.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, comprising sealing means bounding the plate and having rounded shape for establishing huid-tight seals when the frame and tool therewith are inserted beneath the upper platen.

4; Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame has a rectangular outline and said sealing means comprises peripheral elastic members extending between the plate and platen along three sides and including a portion which is compressed between the frame and platen when the frame is inserted beneath the platen whereby three sides of the frame are sealed, and a further peripheral elastic member compressed between the frame and plate for sealing the remaining side of the frame when the frame is inserted beneath the platen.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,426,471 8/22 Fussell 51-235 1,733,463 10/29 McKinley 83-532 1,839,023 12/31 Frost 83-652 2,317,348 4/43 Wekeman 24S-363 1' 2,334,379 11/43 n Bolston 83-652 2,353,066 7/44 Phillips 51-235 2,723,775v 11/55 Von Hofe et al. 51-235 2,975,701 3/61 Munschauervet al; 83-532 3,045,521 7/62 Eisenberg 83-532 3,126,192 3/64 Stein 248-362 FOREIGN PATENTS 751,253 6/56 Great Britain.

5 yANDREW R. IUHASZ, Primary Examiner.

HUNTER'C. BOURNE, JR., Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING A TOOL BENEATH THE UPPER PLATEN OF A PRESS WHICH HAS A SMOOTH FLAT UNDERSURFACE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A FRAME, MEANS SECURED TO SAID UPPER PLATEN FOR SUPPORTING SAID FRAME THEREBENEATH SUCH THAT SAID FRAME CAN BE SLIDABLY INTRODUCED AND WITHDRAWN FROM BENEATH THE PLATEN, A TOOL PERIPHERALLY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME AND INCLUDING A SHEET CONTAINED WITHIN THE FRAME DEFINING A SPACE WITH THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE PLATEN, A RIGID PLATE IN SAID SPACE DETACHABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATEN, SAID PLATE HAVING A SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID UNDERSURFACE OF THE PLATEN, SAID PLATE BEING PROVIDED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED SURFACE THEREOF WITH A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL TRANSVERSE GROOVES HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS, SAID PLATE BEING FURTHER PROVIDED IN SAID SURFACE WITH A LONGITUDINAL GROOVE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID TRANSVERSE GROOVES AT ONE OF THE ENDS THEREOF, WHEREBY A NETWORK OF GROOVES IS ESTABLISHED IN SAID SURFACE OF THE PLATE WHICH IS COVERED BY THE UNDERSURFACE OF THE PLATEN, AND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTED TO THE PLATE AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE NETWORK OF GROOVES FOR ESTABLISHING SUCTION THEREIN, SAID PLATE BEING PROVIDED WITH SPACED HOLES REGULARLY ARRANGED ALONG THE TRANSVERSE GROOVES AND OPENING INTO SAID GROOVES FOR THEREBY HAVING SUCTION DEVELOPED THEREIN, SAID SHEET OF THE TOOL HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE PROXIMATE THE HOLES IN THE PLATE SUCH THAT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SHEET IS DRAWN AGAINST THE PLATE AND IS HELD THEREAGAINST BY THE SAID SUCTION. 